Container holding mechanism



March 30, 1943.

. Filed Jan. 16, 1941 Samuel J Galh'one M m a u A w a j w 1 F m. m w. L w 6 w m m w .l. h mww Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNlTED STATES PATENT orricr.

Samuel J. Gallione, Columbus, Ohio Application .ianuary 16, 1941, Serial No. 374,728

6 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for transporting containers and is particularly directed to a device for holding a filled container, such as a vase, basket or the like used by florists during transportation in a truck or other vehicle. Ordinarily, when floral pieces are being delivered by the florist, the vases or other containers in which they are positioned are placed in an ordinary flower pot of sufficient size and are then packed as securely as possible to prevent movement. This method of handling is highly unsatisfactory in that a large amount of time is required to so pack the pieces and then, due to the insecurity of the system and lack of dependability of the workmen performing the function, many pieces fall over or move around in the vehicle and are consequently damaged, sometimes necessitating the return thereof to the greenhouse to be reassembled. Another disadvantage is the expense involved, the period of use of the flower pots being very short due to breakage in handling.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a device for holding containers which will avoid the above objections to the holders now in use by, first, being easy to apply to the article to be held and thereby decreasing the time required to mount the article and, second, by securely holding the article and thus preventing damage during transportation.

Another object resides in the formation of a device of the character mentioned which may be employed to hold any container regardless of shape and size within predetermined limits.

A further object resides in providing a container holder having a base and elongated flexible cable members for securing the container to be transported to the base, pulley means for the cable members being adjustably supported by the base and held in various positions of adjustment with respect to the base through the operation of securing the container thereto.

A still further object is the formation of a container holder with a base and guide means extending across the same, the guide means receiving bracket members which in turn receive flexible cable means employed in securing containers to the base, the brackets being movable on the guide means to adapt the container holder to containers of various sizes and being provided with pulley means for reducing the wear on the cables as they are moved through the brackets in the operations of securing containers to and removing them from the holder.

Another object rests in providing a container holder having a base and a'pair of cable guiding;

pulleys adjustably mounted on the base, cable clamping means also being arranged on the latter to retain the cables in position of adjustment after a container has been secured to the base, the ends of the cable means being provided with hook members for'engaging the article to be secured, said hook members being so secured to the cable as to admit of some yieldability whereby the cables may be maintained-under a slight degree of tension after being adjusted into container holding relation.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which a container holder constructed in accordance with the preferred form of the inventionhas been illustrated in detail.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view or a container holding device formed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view taken throughone of the pulley carrying bracket members forming a part of the holding mechanism shown in Fig. 1.; Q

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through a cable clamping member provided on the holding mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a container engaging element secured to one end .of the cable means.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the

numeral 1 designates the base of the holding" mechanism, In this instance, the base is rectangular when viewed in plan and is formed from sheet metal or other material capable of being cut and formed and yet possessing sufficient resistance to bending as to provide a rigid structure. The base I hasa downwardly directed peripheral flange 2 which terminates at its edge in an inwardly directed lip 3. The lip and flange serve to reenforce the base and hold thebody thereof in spaced relation from a support on which the base may be positioned. Other suitable means may be employed to reenforce the base to prevent its collapse under the Weight of containers secured to the device.

The body of the base has a pair of guide slots 4 formed therein which extend, from opposite corners toward the center of the base and terminate in spaced relation. Disposed in these slots for guided movement are a pair of bracket members 5, these being formed from plates 6 and angularlybent ears I, the latter being welded or others wise secured to the upper surfaces of the plates in spaced relation. The ears are provided with aligned perforations for the reception of pivot members 8 upon which pulleys 9 are journaled.

block I3 having openings [4 at its ends for the I reception of screws l5 employed to holdthe plate and the block in connection with the base. Through the provision of the member l3'and the plate, a pair of cable guidesare formed-through which the ends of a cable l6 are trained. The

ends of the cable are also trained through the bracket members and around the pulleys 9. The plate l0 and the upper wall of the base are:provided with a plurality of registering openings through which pivots I! extend, these being provided-at their upper-ends with shoulders to'prevent-the complete passage of the'pivotsthrough the openings. The lower ends of the pivots have holes for the reception of cotter pins l'8 which prevent the removalof ,the pivots.

Two of the pivots I! are disposed adjacentto the inner end of the stationary jaw 13 and receive pulley whee1sl8. These members guide the cable ends and hold them adjacent to the sides of the jaw l3. Two other pivots are disposed 'in closer relation to the corner of the base'and'furnish pivotal axes for a pair of-movable jaws 19 having arcuate cable engaging endsarranged adjacent to the stationary jaw and manuallyengageable extremities projecting therefrom on the opposite sides of the pivots from the cable engaging portions. The latterportions have spaced teeth formed on the arcuatesurface to insurea better grip on the cables. The sides of the stationary jaw in registration withthe inner ends of the-movable jaws are 'arcuate andare-also formed with spaced teeth to assist in preventing slippage ofthe cables.

Each of the movablejawshas a slot'formed in one edge for the reception of'the bent ends of the springs l2 which are composed of a plurality of relatively light gage leaves. This spring'construction is preferable since the 'failure'of 'one'leaf will not leaves the device entirely free but some pressure will remain to urge the movable jaw toward a rope engaging "position. Through I the provision of the jaws'and springs, the former will be caused to pivot about the axes of'the members I! whereby the cable engaging ends will -move toward the stationary jaw. When cables are positioned between the movable and stationary jaws, the springswill force thecurved'ends of-the j-aws into firm engagement with the cables and prevent their movement toward the center of the-base. When it is desired to'move cables in this direction, the extensions 20 may be engaged and manually moved toward one another to cause-the jaws l9 to move awayfrom the jaw I 3, thus effectingthe release of the cables.

As-illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, the e'n'clsof the cable adjacentto the pulleys '9 are provided with container engaging elements 2| whichare'ho'oked shaped to receive theupper edge of a'container such'as a vase indicatecl'at 22. The elements ii are i so connected with the ends of the cable as to permit a limited amount of longitudinal movement of the cable after the elements have been engaged with the container. To provide for this feature, the hook-shaped members 2| have elongated shanks 23 terminating at the ends in heads 24. These shanks extend through tubular members 25 in which compression springs 26 are disposed. One end of the spring in each member engages a shoulder at one end of the member 25 while the opposite end of the spring is engaged by the head 24, th spring being thus confined within the member 25. It will be seen that outward movement of the hooked end 2| will result in compressing the spring 26. To connect the member 2 5 to-the cable, its end has a ferrule 21 clinched thereto, this ferrule being positioned in the member 25 and retained therein by turning the edge -of the member25 inward as indicated at 28. In

this manner, the container engaging element may be flexibly connected with the cable and still be permitted to rotate with respect thereto.

After the device'has been assembled, containare such as vases, urns and flower baskets maybe secured to the base for transportation in a truck or other vehicle by positioning the container on thecenterof the base, placing the hook-shaped elements 2| overthe upper edge of the container and exerting apulling force on the looped portion-29 of the cable disposed outside of the housing I6. After the slack has been taken out of the cable between the jaws and the elements 2 I, a slight additional pulling force will place the springs -26 under tension and the container will then be positively secured to the holder. The tensionin the springs will be transmitted to the cable 21111811106 the major portions of the jaws '9 in engagement with the cable are disposed between the pivots Hand the outer edge of the base, the tension in the cable will tend to draw the movable jaws into firmer engagement with the cable. After the container has reached its destination, it may be released from the holder by moving the extremities 20 toward one another and freeing the elements 2 I from engagement with the container edge.

The holder is made adaptable to various size containers by making the brackets adjustable-in theslots' l. Thisfeature is accomplished byproviding .the'plates 6 'with'openings-for the reception of headed pins 30 which extend through the slots and are provided at their lowerends with a retaining cotter pin 3|. Between the cotter pin and the under side of the base, there are positioned-around the pin a pair of washers 32 and a spring -33. 'The spring urges the upper washer into engagement with the under side of the base and holds the brackets in movable engagement with the upper side. The brackets automatically assume their adjusted positions when a pulling force'is imparted to the cable in securing a container to the holder.

While the elements forming'the device may be composedof any desired material, the base, housing, pulleys, brackets and jaws are preferably formed of -met-a1 and the cable is preferably a woven rope such as sash cord. Other materials could be employed without departing from the spirit of theinvention. While but a single embodiment of the inventionhas been illustrated, many minor changes may be made therein but it is believed that'the form shown possesses the most advantages with the simplest structure.

What is claimed is:

1. A container holding device comprising a "base having transversely "extending guide slots in the upper surface, bracket means mounted for longitudinal adjustment in said guide slots, a pulley carried by each bracket, cable clamping means mounted on said base, said means having a stationary jaw and a plurality of spring pressed clamping jaws mounted for pivotal movement to- Ward and away from said stationary jaw, cable means extending between said stationary and flexible jaws and around said pulleys, and container engaging hook means carried by the ends of said cable means.

2. A container holding device comprising a base having transversely extending guide slots in the upper surface, bracket means mounted for longitudinal adjustment in said guide slots, a pulley carried by each bracket, cable clamping means mounted on said base, said means having a stationary jaw and a plurality of spring pressed clamping jaws mounted for pivotal movement toward and away from said stationary jaw, teeth means provided on said jaws, cable means extending between said stationary and flexible jaws and around said pulleys, container engaging hook means carried by the ends of said cable means, and spring mean-s for yieldably connecting said hooks to said cable means.

3. A container holding device comprising a base, a pair of cable guides mounted on said base, a stationary jaw secured to said base, a pair of clamping jaws mounted for movement toward and away from said stationary jaw, flexible cable means extending between said jaws and around said guides, and container engaging means carried by said cable means.

4. A container holding device comprising a base, cable guides mounted for adjustment toward and away from the center of said base, cable means extending around said guides, container engaging means fixed to said cable means, and means for clamping said cable means in container securing condition.

5. A container holding device comprising a base, cable guides mounted on said base, cable means extending around said guides, container engaging elements fixed to said cable means, and means for clamping said cable means in positions of adjustment.

6. A container holding device comprising a base, guide means extending radially with re spect to a predetermined point on said base, direction changing means for cables adjustably positioned in said guide means, cable means extending around said direction changing means, container engaging hooks, means yieldably conmeeting said hooks to said cable means, said connecting means being placed under tension when a pulling force is applied to said cable While said hooks are engaged with a container, and cable gripping means carried by said base to maintain said hook and cable connecting means under tension.

SAMUEL J. GALLIONE. 

